Coriander's Parable
by unneededasdf
Summary: In a poverty stricken village which rests on the outskirts of Avalar, a strange girl lives with her mother. This girl, Coriander, is on a quest to find her father, and may find love along the way. Some usage of OCs.
1. Chapter 1

The night air was crisp, and the wisps of smoke from the small fire that Coriander had built outside her bedroom window wafted into the cold cottage in which she lived. It traveled up along the high walls, tracing along the natural flaws in the rafters. She sat on the windowsill, buried under a wool blanket, trying to absorb whatever heat the flames were exuding. Breathing, she saw the air from her lungs dance playfully in front of her, before fading into the dark. A gleam from above struck her eye. _A falling star, _she thought to herself, grinning ever so slightly.

They were rather common in the small, poverty stricken village that she and her mother resided in, that laid right out side of Avalar. With thatched rooftops, and shattered glass windows, there was no true place to call home. Especially not with the way they treated her. Coriander sighed, rubbing the thin leathery flesh on her wings between her rather human, alabaster fingers. The villagers were not aware of her past. All they knew was that she was strange, and all of those who exhibit differences are meant to be shunned.

"Coriander?" A gentle voice whispered from the other side of her bedroom door.

"Yes, mother?" She replied, instantly recognizing who it belonged to.

"You should get to bed."

There was a long silence before Coriander said "fine." She took put out the fire and climbed into her cot. The fabric scratched against her skin, yet she did not complain. She knew how lucky she was to have anything at all. There was only one thing she yearned for, though she never would admit it. At least, not out loud.

She soon drifted off into a barely existent sleep, wavering in and out of consciousness. The fragments of dreams that managed to surface were always of the same thing. A land spoken of in lore, where dragons and magic did exist. A land which her mother claimed to have went, and committed an all to human sin. These acres which were spoken of were the only place that she would have enjoyed existing. Where she would feel as if she had a place to call her own.

Her viridian eyes fluttered open to faint rays of sunlight spattered across her walls, and sheets. It reflected off of newly fallen particles of snow, and speckled her windowpane. It was a beautifully colorful display wake up to, but did not bring smile to the face of the weary girl.

She rolled herself out of bed, her cranium throbbing, and her heart feeling heavy. Without looking in the large vanity mirror across the room, she forced herself into the kitchen for proper nourishment.

The kitchen was a small room, with cold stone floors, and pine cabinets jutting out from the walls. There was no sink, but a basin upon the floor which all dirty dishes would be placed in, until somebody would be willing to take a walk to the well. A makeshift icebox sat next to it, filled to the top with ice, sawdust, and various products whose ages were starting to show. She reached into it and pulled out a meat product. It seemed enough like veal, she figured, and went outside to roast it.

The sun was still low in the sky, so many of the townspeople were still in bed. That was the only reason that she had the courage to step outside of her decrepit domain. The flames licked the meat, turning it golden in spots, and slowly drying it to perfection.

Upon seeing that it had reached a state of edibility, she sunk back into the shadows of the cottage, locking the door behind her. Eagerly, she dug her fangs into the tender, juicy meat, savoring it only for a moment, before taking yet another gouge out of her meal. Silently, and quickly she ate, gently licking every last bit of substance from the bone. Her stomach growled for more, but she knew she could not satisfy her hunger.

"Oh, good. You're awake." Her mother walked in, carrying a basket of berried. Her dainty feet were bare, and covered in mud, and her hands were marked from where thorns had torn her fragile flesh. As a woman, she was of a petite build, pale, and had rather dark features.

"Yeah…" Coriander gently clutched her stomach, trying to avoid hinting to her struggling mother just how starving she was.

"How did you sleep?"

"No better than usual." She watched as her mother placed the basket on the counter, and resisted the urge to go snatch one of those tempting treats.

There was a long pause while her mother stared at her. Coriander couldn't be sure what was going on, but the gears in the woman's head were turning.

With a sigh, the aging woman asked "You want to know the truth, don't you?" Taken aback by the statement, all Coriander could manage were a few jumbled sentences. "Sit." She pulled her daughter into a seat at the crooked table, and looked her directly in the eyes. "You have to promise tha tyou will not be upset by what I'm about to tell you."

"I won't be mother. I promise."

"Well then…" Her mother began, unsure of where to start. "Perhaps I should tell you what drew me out of Avalar in the first place… I was a curious, and having just reached adulthood, I assumed that I could take on the world. I left my home the day after my eighteenth birthday, with no more than the clothes on my back. I was off to visit the world that the legends spoke of. Where I could live through so many adventures, and I could be happy. And happiness is what I found. Happiness in the arms of somebody who I would soon call your father…" She licked her lips gently, searching for the next words. "Your father, as I'm sure you know, wasn't exactly… human…"

Coriander flicked her reptilian tail, and ran her fingers across the horns on her skull.

Her mother continued. " He was one of the elders. One of the so called elemental guardians. He and I fell madly in love almost instantly, and eventually that lead to you… But the love didn't last. I just didn't feel the same about your father after you were born, and I left to come home. Your grandparents wouldn't let us stay in their house. They frowned upon what I had done. Everybody did…. So, here we are."

Coriander gazed at her mother, unphased by what she said. There was one prying question at the back of her mind. Finally, after eighteen years of living, it fought its way to the tip of her tongue. "Who is my father?" Her mother's jaw hung open, harboring any possible answer she would give.

"I want you to go to the temple that I told you about when you were little. Say you were Zephyra's daughter. They'll know who you want to see."

With that, she left, leaving Coriander to walk up to her room alone. Coriander filled her bag with some spare clothes, some food, and some various items of importance. Specifically a necklace with a chain of the finest silver, and a synthetic gem made of glass. She took one last look in the elaborately decorated mirror above her bureau. With emerald eyes, and skin that could very well belong to a porcelain doll, she was stunning. That is, if one were to go without noticing the ivory horns atop her head, and graceful yet strong wings stemming from her back, and the flowing, elegant tail which dragged behind her.

Summoning whatever inner strength that remained from the years of emotional beating, she left the house, and ventured out into the unforgiving world.


	2. Chapter 2

Home was far behind her as she traveled the frozen road, her sights set on the distant city of Avalar. Though she could see the skyline, her feet reminded her just how far away she was from her destination. A cold wind tugged at her flesh, and she wrapped her wings around herself, hoping to conserve body heat. She adjusted her scarf, pulling it over her mouth, heating the fabric with her very breath. Snow fell from the darkening heavens above, landing softly on her hair, and lacing the ground below her. Ice shattered like glass under her graceful steps.

It was times like then that Coriander wished that she had taken after her father more. She wished that she didn't have a human body, and prayed that she could be a grand, unflinching reptile like her unknown father. Yet, hoping for a change of physique was futile. Nothing could change the scrawny, half human girl from what she was.

Her boots were saturated with the remnants of slush which she had been forced to pass through. Her coat was delicate and tattered, and her pants were wearing thin. Her ears had gone numb, which was far better than the agony they were in only an hour before hand.

She began to wonder how much time she had wasted wandering along the desolate pathway. The sun was low in the sky, and night was falling upon her quickly. The blanket of shadows would soon envelope her, and she was sure that she would be lost if guided only by the light of the stars. Still, she was well aware that there was no sanctuary within the woods. The only way she could find true safety was to make it to the heart of the city.

The bag was encumbering. She shifted her shoulders in discomfort.

It was then that she noticed the smell of gingerbread cookies filling the air. Her stomach roared, pleading to be fed. As if by instinct, she followed the aroma to a small cabin along the edge of the trail. Mustering up as much courage as she could, she knocked upon the cedar door. Within a matter of seconds, an elderly woman came shuffling to the door. She looked up at Coriander with a vacant expression, and a blue film clouded her eyes.

"Hello…" Coriander managed.

"Oh, hello child." When the elderly woman smiled, Coriander almost saw a look of youth strike the wrinkled stranger's face.

"I was wondering if I might come in and rest for a little. It's rather cold." Coriander pulled her wings tighter around herself, sniffling.

"Of course, of course. It's a rather cold night for somebody as young as you to be out on your own, you know. Come in. You can sit right in the den. There's a fire going, and I'll go get you some tea." The unusual woman shuffled off into the recesses of her house.

Coriander entered, baffled by the hospitality that had been given to her.

The living room was heated by a small fire, which cackled as it devoured the logs. The furniture was soft, and mostly burgundy in color. Upon the walls, no artwork was hung, and the only thing covering the splintering wood floor was a woven rug, which Coriander sat upon, taking in the heat of the flames before her.

"Here you go." The elder asked, handing Coriander a fragile tea cup, filled almost to the rim with warm, herbal tea.

"Thank you." Coriander replied, sipping the beverage.

"So, child, what is your name? And what brings you out on a freezing winter's eve?"

"I am Coriander. My mother sent me to find my father… You see, my mother is human, like you. She and I live together. But my father was a dragon, and I've never met him…" Coriander struggled to explain the situation as easily as she could to avoid any confusion.

"Ah… You sound like my granddaughter, Elora. She's out at the moment, but she'll be coming back soon."

"Mm… So, what's your name?"

"My name is Dysis."

"That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you…"

There was a long pause as the two enjoyed their tea, and shelter from the outside.

"Where are you headed, Coriander?"

"The city of Avalar."

Dysis laughed. "There's a common misconception that the city is named Avalar… The Avalar that you must be looking for is the valley just a few miles beyond it… They say it's nice this time of year."

Coriander groaned in dismay. The journey had taken so much out of her, and it was only the first day. To know that her first destination was even farther away put even more of a burden on her shoulders.

The front door opened, and in walked a figure, bundled up in winter attire. The figure dropped an armful of fire wood by the doorway, and walked into the den. "Oh Elora! I was just talking about you!" Dysis grinned, knowing that it had to be none other than her grandchild.

Elora removed her coat and placed it on the back of her grandmother's chair. Coriander soon realized that she and Elora did have something in common. The girl had beautiful auburn hair, and flawless skin. She was what one would consider "normal" from the waist up. Her lower half, on the other hand, was that of a fawn. Her hooves made a rhythmic tapping noise as they struck the floor. Elora smiled and sat herself in the chair adjacent to the eldest female.

"Elora, darling," Dysis began, her pale, sightless eyes closing. "Would you be a dear and lead Coriander here to the valley of Avalar tomorrow morning?"

"Of course, Grandma." Elora's eyes shimmered, revealing unspeakable adoration for her relative.

"Thank you." Coriander chimed in.

"You're welcome." The fawn girl replied, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof. "But it's a long walk. You should probably get some sleep."

Coriander was shown to a cramped guest room. The smell in the air was musty, and the furniture was coated in dust, but she was thankful that somebody had given her shelter. She curled herself up under the hand made quilt that was so daintily placed over the bed. Outside, the wind had picked up, throwing once soft snowflakes against windows like pebbles into a lake. The howls of the breeze tore at the house, making its decrepit foundation creak in agony.

She closed the lids to her burning eyes and tried to cast herself off into a deep, undisturbed sleep. Yet this was unsuccessful. Images haunted her mind of what might have been if she hadn't found shelter for the night. She hat vivid night terrors about meeting her father. Trembling from these all to real fears, she found herself unable to rest. This did not stop her attempts. She laid there for the night, in a state somewhere between conscious, and asleep.

When the morning sun rose, she found herself eager to rise. Her stomach was not crying for food, and her eyes did not water from drowsiness. Instead, her legs, though sore, were waiting to carry her home.


End file.
